(21 Jan 1924)
by Bertolt Brecht
The road to hell is paved with good intentions and for the past two years I have saved this cantata so that I could post it on the centenary of Lenin's death. That was yesterday - I missed it. Never mind, better late than never.
1.
The day Lenin passed away
A soldier of the death watch, so runs the story, told his comrades:
I did not want to
Believe it. I went inside, and
Shouted in his ear: "Ilyich
The exploiters are on their way!"
He did not move. Now
I knew that he has expired."
2.
When a good man wants to leave
How can you hold him back?
Tell him why he is needed.
That holds him.
3.
What could hold Lenin back?
4.
The soldier thought
When he hears, the exploiters are coming
He may be ever so ill, he will still get up
Perhaps he will come on crutches
Perhaps he will let himself be carried, but
He will get up and come
In order to confront the exploiters.
5.
The soldier knew, that is to say, that Lenin
Throughout his life, had carried on a struggle
Against the exploiters.
6.
And the soldier who had taken part
In the storming of the Winter Palace wanted to return home because there
The landed estates were being distributed
Then Lenin told him to stay on!
The exploiters are there still,
And so long as there is exploitation
One must struggle against it.
So long as you exist
You must struggle against it.
7.
The weak do not fight. The stronger
Fight on perhaps for an hour.
I can imagine that solder leaning down to speak directly into the ear of Lenin. That ear is very small (I know because I have seen it) but it heard the peasants, even though they were far away. The day always comes, however, when that ear can no longer listen and someone else must listen to the sounds of people calling for justice
Robin's Nest 